A film still from Steven Spielberg’s remake of ‘West Side Story.’ (JoBlo Movie Trailers/YouTube)
Despite Hollywood’s attempt to elevate its A-list talent, the 93rd annual Academy Awards were mostly a subdued affair, except for a thrilling 110 seconds that offered the first look at Steven Spielberg’s highly anticipated film remake of West Side Story. Filmed on location throughout New York City (at the cost of $100 million), the teaser looked like a gorgeously reimagined HD version of the original 1961 film, which swept the Oscars the following year, winning Best Picture.
The original Broadway production, which opened in 1957, didn’t receive such unanimous accolades, losing the Best New Musical category to The Music Man (ironically, opening this season in a starry revival starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster at the Winter Garden Theatre, where West Side Story first played).
Spielberg’s remake, expected to be released in December, features a revised screenplay by Tony Kushner (Angels in America) and stars Ansel Elgort as Tony, Rachel Zegler as Maria, Ariana DeBose (the film version of “The Prom”) as Anita, and David Alvarez as Bernardo.
Here’s a first look:
